MANILA, Philippines—Aside from mourning the death of Michael Jackson, the music world’s King of Pop, at only 50 years old, we should more productively focus on the valuable lessons his life and death have to teach us, specifically on the risks and dangers of child stardom.
Indeed, Michael’s early years serve as an object lesson on how not to nurture vulnerable and impressionable young talents, no thanks to the unenlightened way that the young Michael was treated by his father and first manager, Joe Jackson.
So, as we bid farewell to Michael, let’s also remind ourselves that we need to protect new generations of child entertainers from show biz’s harsh realities—and sometimes even from the people who profess to love them most, but in fact rob them of their childhood, happiness and peace of mind.
In Joe Jackson’s case, he had many children and few job prospects, so he felt compelled to push his kids to become entertainers—whether they liked it or not. What made things worse was the physical punishment he imposed on them for real or imagined transgressions.
When young Michael demonstrated his stellar talent, his father proceeded to push his little boy, in the process depriving him of the normal, happy and “useless” moments of childhood.
Little Michael virtually transformed his siblings’ vocal ensemble, enabling the heretofore unheralded group to attain show biz stardom. As their singing engagements increased, however, so did the pressure on him, as the group’s little star, to work even harder.
As a result, he experienced a level of exhaustion and stress that children should not be subjected to, thus further straining his growing-up years.
Even as his talent as an entertainer blossomed, Michael’s psychological development continued to suffer, until the cracks began to show—introverted behavior, excessive sensitivity to other people’s opinions, addiction to prescription medication, “weird” psychological quirks, accusations of shockingly exploitative behavior, etc.
Parents, guardians and mentors of other young talents should therefore learn from Jackson’s sad experience and make sure that their own young wards don’t suffer as much Michael did.
The first rule they need to follow is to be absolutely sure that their young talents’ decision to become entertainers is voluntary. No way should they force their wards to become performers, because it isn’t a child’s responsibility to become his family’s breadwinner.
Even if a child loves to entertain, he must be given enough time to study, play and just be a child. This is important to his development, because it enhances his sense of wonder, which all children need to develop their imagination and feelings of well-being.
Yes, ambitious children should be encouraged to become stars, but they shouldn’t be pushed to the limit. Instead, they should be supported with the training they need to stand out—and most importantly, with the encouragement of the people they love, so that they remain happy and motivated as they work their way up to star status.
Young talents also need to be protected from the entertainment industry’s less than admirable aspects, which can warp their still immature view of life. And they should be shown how to cope with both success and failure.
Let’s hope that, with these timely reminders, young talents and their handlers will be able to avoid the dangers and pitfalls that made Michael Jackson’s public and private lives so conflicted and unhappy. Our young talents deserve nothing less.
New workshops and courses
After a successful summer showcase at The Podium last month, the Spotlight Artist Center announces its new group workshops. They include the five-month Musical Theater 1 and 2, Creative Dance and Movement for Actors, Spotlight Kids, Scriptwriting (facilitated by Rody Vera), Acting (Paolo O’Hara) and Directing.
Also offered are individual classes for voice, guitar, drums, violin and piano. For details, log on to www.spotlightartistcentre.com or call 899-8099.
